Warrick school officials promise heightened security after threat of shooting at Castle High | PDF

BOONVILLE, Ind. - Warrick County School Corp. officials say there will be increased security, such as locking all outside doors except for the front entrance, in response to a threat a Castle High School student made on Facebook about bringing a weapon to school.

Monday's Warrick County School Board meeting was standing-room-only as more than 60 concerned parents and students turned out to discuss the incident.

The threat on the Castle High School student's Facebook page stated: "First day of school going to be great guys! Most of you will see me raise the weapon, but let's see how many of you can out run the bullet. Castle high here I come." The student then commented on this post, saying "The funny part is most of you take this as a joke."

Parents were curious if the child made the threat would be allowed to attend school on the first day and questioned the board on what would be done to prevent that child from coming into the school and shooting it up. One parent said "I take this as a very serious threat as a parent."

Rebecca Lauer thinks if bullies are disciplined at school, then maybe these threats wouldn't happen. Lauer, 41, has two boys, a junior and a senior, attending Castle this year. She admitted her children were a little worried after hearing the threat.

"Honestly, I think the superintendent, they're not telling us enough for us to be secure for sending our kids to school," she said. "Let us know that there's going to be metal detectors or things. They're not saying that it can be done, we want to know that it is going to be done."

Warrick County School Superintendent Brad Schneider said all necessary steps will be made to ensure Castle High School and the other schools in the district will be safe.

"As safe as we can humanly make them," he said to parents Monday. "I'm sorry, but there's no 100 percent guarantees in life. And if I sat here and told you that, I wouldn't be honest with you. All I can tell you is that our schools have been safe in the past. Now that this comes to light, we're only going to heighten security."

A letter was sent to parents in the Castle community on Aug. 6 from Schneider and Castle High School Principal Andy Byers. It addressed the threat and said school officials have already planned for increased security measures and a heightened sense of security for the start of the 2012-2013 school year, which begins Aug. 15.

"We want everyone to know that the School Corp. is taking this threat seriously," the letter stated. "We are working closely with the Warrick County Sheriff's Department and other county agencies to ensure a safe start to the 2012-2013 school year. … School safety is, and always has been, our top priority at the Warrick County School Corp."

Lauer said she needs to see changes in security at the school to feel comfortable sending her boys the first day.

"If I go the first day and take my kids and don't see these measures, they're not going to stay," she said. "Because they are my children and if you mess with a mama's child, the world comes to an end for everybody."

School officials said they couldn't address specific details in the case because of privacy laws, the student being a minor and the case still being under investigation.

The letter said the student disciplinary policy and "all disciplinary action deemed appropriate" will be enforced to ensure student safety.

According to the Warrick County Sheriff's Department, no arrests have been made.

"We're going to do everything we can think of to make sure Castle High School is safe," Schneider said. "Not just on day one, but day 180 as well."

As of Monday evening, Lauer didn't plan to send her kids to school on Aug. 15.